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The government is developing plans for pubs and restaurants to have a “two-week respite” to reopen if coronavirus rates drop in the next week.
Under the plan, all outlets will also reopen and people will be allowed to travel across the country before Christmas.
The wet pubs, which have been closed in the capital since March, will also reopen with COVID-19 rules in place.
All sporting activities and religious services will be allowed to resume, although there will be no change to a full Level 2, as ministers want to avoid another closure in January.
A final decision has not been made, ministers are pushing for it to be announced in advance so that Christmas shopping can begin.
“We could lower the numbers and that would deserve to go to Level 2,” a minister told the Irish Examiner.
“But the reason it would not go to Level 2 is to avoid a closure in January.
“So level 3 would be the commitment, but with a two week postponement, which would be fair.”
Several government members have called for flexibility in the plan, saying that people must be trusted to follow public health guidelines, because if the rules were too strict, people “will just ignore them.”
“From a public health point of view, I don’t see how having a pint in a bar that doesn’t have bar service is less safe than inviting people to have a drink at your house,” another minister told the newspaper.
As politicians push for restrictions to be significantly eased, Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan called for caution yesterday in identifying the last battlegrounds where the virus is taking hold.
He said: “The 5-day average daily case count is increasing and now exceeds 400 per day. This is a worrying development that has continued in recent days. We are seeing a number of things that concern us.
“There are examples of small numbers of people congregating for social purposes and simply ignoring important public health messages. They are putting our collective progress at risk.
“We are also seeing several outbreaks across the country.
“These include outbreaks associated with funerals. We understand that this is a difficult time for families, but it is truly important that we do everything we can to avoid circumstances that promote transmission of the virus.”
“There have also been outbreaks associated with work environments. As we enter a new work week, we must stay home for non-essential reasons and for personal exercise within 5km. Anyone who can work from home should work from home. “
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